Whitehead's development was spurred by playing with former Montverde stars and pros like R.J. Barrett, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes. The results were averages of 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season for the 22-4 Eagles.
Like those players before him, he also led his team to a GEICO Nationals crown — its second straight — and a national championship, its third straight and sixth overall since 2013.
The 6-foot-6 standout, who is headed to Duke, was terrific when it counted most, scoring 21 points in a 62-57 GEICO Nationals semifinal win over IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). He followed that by contributing 14 points, six assists and four rebounds during a 60-49 victory over Link Academy in the final.
Whitehead is ranked the No. 5 senior prospect in the country, according to the
247Sports composite.
"(Whitehead) has shown immense development in his game, especially this season by challenging himself to be more perimeter oriented," MaxPreps national basketball editor Jordan Divens said. "His shooting stroke has really benefited. … He's also a lockdown defender as he showed in January, holding top-ranked junior
D.J. Wagner to four points."
Whitehead is the fourth Montverde Academy to win the award in eight years, joining Ben Simmons (2015), Barrett (2018) and Cunningham (2020). He transferred to the school as an eighth-grader and played varsity as a freshman. He edged
Jarace Walker of IMG Academy and
Nick Smith of North Little Rock (Ark.) for the coveted award.
"Learning from R.J. Barrett, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes, just seeing how they handled the team, that's something I bring with me to this year ... to the young guys," he told an ESPN audience early in the season. "Make sure the legacy of Montverde continues."
He did that indeed as the Eagles finished No. 1 in the final National Top 20, joining other national title teams in 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
Whitehead helped orchestrate a balanced, talented team which included unsigned senior
Malik Reneau (14.3 points per game) and Texas signee
Dillon Mitchell (13.0 points, 11.3 rebounds).
After winning GEICO Nationals he told an ESPN audience: "Before my senior year started I promised (Montverde coach Kevin Boyle) I'd come back and win one more and that's what I did. Just to know I lived up to that will forever be with me."
He tied a pretty bow on his season by earning MVP honors of the McDonald's All American Game with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the East's 105-81 victory. After the game he rattled off some of the greats who had won the award — LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard, among them — and was touched.
"This one (award) is definitely special," Whitehead said. "This one I'm going to remember forever."
Now it's on to Duke, where he'll play for first-year head coach Jon Scheyer and headline the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, which includes No. 1 prospect
Dereck Lively II,
No. 3
Kyle Filipowski and No. 13
Mark Mitchell.
"I've really been playing with pros since I was in eighth grade," Whitehead told ESPN. "I don't see (college) being any different. They said it's faster, but I feel like I'm only getting stronger so I don't really see it being too much different."
Past MaxPreps National Players of the Year
2006 — Greg Oden, Lawrence North (Indianapolis)
2007 — Kevin Love, Lake Oswego (Lake Oswego, Ore.)
2008 — Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
2009 — Derrick Favors, South Atlanta (Atlanta)
2010 — Harrison Barnes, Ames (Iowa)
2011 — Austin Rivers, Winter Park (Fla.)
2012 — Kyle Anderson, St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
2013 — Jabari Parker, Simeon (Chicago)
2014 — Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2015 — Ben Simmons, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
2016 — Lonzo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.)
2017 — Michael Porter Jr., Nathan Hale (Seattle)
2018 — R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy
2019 — Sharife Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
2020 — Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy
2021 — Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis)
